News

News from around the Bay

Bay City News report for Monday, April 27

An 18-year-old man wanted in connection with the stabbing death of a 9-year-old boy in Discovery Bay Sunday morning was arrested Sunday afternoon, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Authorities arrested Discovery Bay resident William Schultz sometime before 4 p.m., sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said. Deputies responded to a report of a stabbing around 10 a.m. in the 1900 block of Frost Way, Lee said. Sheriff's deputies arrived to the scene and learned a family member had taken a 9-year-old boy to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Lee.

As of Sunday afternoon, the sheriff's office had not released the boy's identity. Lee said he did not have further details about the circumstances or motive of the stabbing.

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Police early Sunday morning arrested a high school soccer coach in Napa who allegedly propositioned one of his soccer players for sex and sent her a photo of his genitals, police said.

On Saturday around 2 p.m., a 16-year-old student at Napa High Page 2 of 10School called police to report that her junior varsity soccer coach, Julian Vargas, had sent her a text message with a picture of his penis, police said. The student told police the 29-year-old coach had been propositioning her for sex since Tuesday.

The victim felt there might be other girls who he was contacting with the same intent, police said. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Vargas's home, located in the 1500 block of Kennedy Court in St. Helena, and police said officers arrived at his home around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Police arrested Vargas on suspicion of contacting a minor with the intent of committing a felony and sending harmful material with the intent of seducing a minor.

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Police are investigating a shooting that left one person dead Saturday night in Hayward, police said on Sunday. Officers responded shortly before 10 p.m. to several reports of shots fired in the area of Brae Burn Avenue and Gresel Street, police said. Upon arrival, police said officers were directed to a male victim with several apparent gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving attempts by medical personnel on scene, police said the victim succumbed to his wounds.

Police said the victim's identity would be released pending notification of next of kin. No further information was immediately available.

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Two people were hospitalized following a kitchen fire at a Concord apartment complex Sunday afternoon and one man nearly gave his life trying to put it out, a fire official said.

Fire crews responded shortly before 4 p.m. to several reports of a fire in the 5400 block of Kirkwood Drive, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Capt. George Laing said. Laing said a man smelled smoke in a neighboring apartment and was going door-to-door to find the source when he saw that his neighbor's cooking top was burning.

The man located a portable fire extinguisher and tried to douse the blaze but the flames kept coming, Laing said. The man ran out of the apartment and found another fire extinguisher, and then another, until he had used five separate portable fire extinguishers in an effort to put out the blaze, Laing said. After the fifth fire extinguisher, Laing said the man began experiencing cardiac distress. He ran outside of the building and collapsed just as police and emergency medical crews were arriving.

First responders were able to use an automatic external defibrillator to revive the man and then medical crews transported him to the hospital, Laing said. "This good Samaritan nearly paid with his life but they brought him back and saved him," Laing said. An elderly woman in the apartment where the fire broke out suffered minor burns and Laing said she was also transported to the hospital. The fire was limited to the kitchen area, Laing said. He said he didn't know why the fire extinguishers failed to quash the flames, but said they could have been used incorrectly or there could have been other flammable materials fueling the fire.

"There was a great deal of material in the apartment, some of which was too close to the cooking surface," Laing said.

He said it's imperative for people to get out of burning buildings, rather than try to extinguish a fire themselves. The fire damage to the kitchen was minimal, but Laing said he wasn't sure whether the apartment was habitable.

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A 25-year-old Antioch resident is in stable condition after he was stabbed in the abdomen Saturday morning in Oakley, a police sergeant said on Sunday.

Officers responded around 8:30 a.m. to a report of a person lying on the ground with a stab wound in the 400 block of Duckhorn Court, Oakley police Sgt. Robert Roberts said.

Roberts said officers arrived to find the victim outside on the ground. The 25-year-old man was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he underwent surgery, and as of Saturday evening, Roberts said he was in stable condition. The victim and the suspect, an approximately 50-year-old man, lived together at one point, Roberts said, adding it was unclear whether or not they were still roommates.

The two got into an altercation on Saturday morning and the suspect ended up stabbing the victim, but Roberts said it may have been an act of self-defense.

The suspect voluntarily came to the police station for an interview and Roberts said the victim is also cooperating with the investigation. As of Sunday evening, Roberts said detectives were still investigating the case and so far, no one has been arrested and no charges have been filed.

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Caltrans crews spent a portion of Sunday evening cleaning roughly 6,000 gallons of milk and 100 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled near Tomales Bay late Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol and Marin County fire officials.

Both directions of state Highway 1 were closed as of around 5:30 p.m. so Caltrans crews could assess the scene, CHP Officer Page 6 of 10Damian Cistaro said. Officers responded to a report of an overturned tanker on state Highway 1 roughly a mile north of Nick's Cove around 11:45 a.m.,

CHP Officer Andrew Barclay said. Barclay said 6,000 gallons of the big-rig's roughly 10,000-gallon tank spilled into the street, while the rest remained in the tanker. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital, according to officials with the Marin County Fire Department. Fire officials said the truck, which was heading south near Nick's Cove, failed to negotiate a turn and landed on its side along the highway.

Firefighters were able to use absorbent materials to sop up the spilled milk and diesel fuel. Crews are monitoring the spill to ensure it does not threaten bay waters, fire officials said. A Sig-alert was issued around 1:10 p.m. for both directions of Highway 1 and was lifted around 1:45 p.m. before authorities closed the highway again for another hour for Caltrans crews, Cistaro said.

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An altercation at a parking lot in Belmont on Saturday night ended with the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old man, police said on Sunday.

Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, police and firefighters responded to a report of a stabbing in the 600 block of Masonic Way, Halleran said. Emergency responders arrived and found the victim, later identified as Meshchyshyn, suffering from multiple stab wounds, he said. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Halleran said.

At the scene investigators spoke with two of Meshchyshyn's friends, who said that before the stabbing they went to the parking lot where they saw Meshchyshyn fighting with a suspect, according to Halleran. The friends said the suspect ran away west on Masonic Way toward Old County Road, the captain said.

They then found Meshchyshyn on the ground suffering from stab wounds and called 911, Halleran said.

The suspect was seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, according to Halleran, but information on the suspect's race, gender and age was not available Sunday afternoon. Investigators believe Meshchyshyn was acquainted with the suspect and that the attack was not random, Halleran said.

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One person was injured in the leg in a King City shooting near a park Saturday night, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded to a report of a shooting victim in the 400 block of Division Street around 9 p.m. Saturday, sheriff's officials said.

Arriving deputies went to a residence where they found a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper left leg, according to sheriff's officials. Other people inside the home were not struck by the gunfire, sheriff's officials. The victim was transported to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas for treatment, according to sheriff's officials. An update on her condition was not available Sunday morning.

The suspects were last seen running from the home toward King City Park, sheriff's officials said. Deputies found multiple shell casings in front of the home, according to sheriff's officials. No arrests were made as of Sunday morning, sheriff's officials said.

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Police are looking for three suspects in a shooting that left an 18-year-old man with a wound to his head in Antioch on Saturday evening, police said on Sunday.

Around 6:45 p.m., officers responded to a report of a drive-by shooting in the 2200 block of Manzanita Way near Sycamore Drive, acting police Lt. Trevor Schnitzius said. Police arrived to find an 18-year-old who was alert, conscious and suffering from a single gunshot wound to the back of his head, Schnitzius said.

The victim was shot while he was sitting in a car, the lieutenant said. He was uncooperative with responding officers and investigators, Schnitzius said.

The victim was transported to a hospital where the bullet, found lodged between his skin and skull, was removed, according to Schnitzius. The victim was then released from the hospital, Schnitzius said. The three suspects were seen in a four-door vehicle, he said.

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Two men, one who was armed, forced their way inside an Antioch apartment where they took money and jewelry on Saturday night, police said on Sunday.

Officers responded to a report of a robbery in the 3500 block of Fairview Drive near Somersville Towne Center around 9:20 p.m., acting police Lt. Trevor Schnitzius said.

The apartment's residents heard a knock on the door and what sounded like a female voice asking for help, Schnitzius said. The residents opened the door where they were confronted by two men both wearing masks, he said.

The suspects, one armed with a handgun, entered the home and demanded the residents for money, according to Schnitzius. The men took money and jewelry from the home and fled, he said.

The suspects are described as two men between 25 and 30 years old, according to Schnitzius.

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Today will be sunny with highs in the 60s to lower 70s. Winds will be from the southwest at around 5 mph in the morning, increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.

This evening will be breezy with mostly clear skies. Later, skies will become mostly cloudy. Forecasters expect patchy fog after midnight. Lows will be in the lower 50s. Winds will be from the west at 20 to 30 mph before midnight and 15 to 20 mph after midnight.

Tuesday will be breezy with patchy fog and mostly cloudy skies in the morning. Skies will become partly cloudy later in the day. Highs will be in the 50s to mid 60s. Winds will be from the west at 15 to 20 mph in the morning and 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon.